The CPAC Speech Everyone Needs to Hear

Just a few hours before Donald Trump spoke to the CPAC audience last Friday, an even more noteworthy address took place at the Gaylord Convention Center.

Apache, Oklahoma Chief of Police, Stephen Mills, took the CPAC floor to argue for the abolition of civil asset forfeiture. Civil asset forfeiture is “a process by which the government can take and sell your property without ever convicting, or even charging, you with a crime.” Under this practice, the state will typically take people’s cash, cars, and other valuable possessions it may unilaterally deem as being an asset to a crime.

Since President Trump recently alluded that he’s not happy about efforts to curb civil asset forfeiture, Chief Mills wanted to let the president know that there are many police officers out there who believe the practice of civil asset forfeiture is an aberration and violation of their oath to the Constitution.

Mills told the crowd:

“When the police and judicial system become the antagonist and no longer protect the rights of the accused, we have failed the greater mission of protecting the rights of the citizen… As law enforcement officers, we can’t step on the rights of the citizens we are sworn to protect, under the guise of protecting them. This country was founded of the people, by the people, and for the people with certain unalienable rights. That’s what made this country strong, and that is what will make this country strong again.”